ARDA TURAN BİOGRAPHY

Arda Turan (born January 30, 1987, in Istanbul) is a former Turkish football player and coach who played as a left winger. He represented the Turkey national football team from 2006 to 2017 and served as captain. He is currently the head coach of Eyupsport.

Personal Information

•   Date of Birth: January 30, 1987 (37 years old)
•   Place of Birth: Bayrampasa, Istanbul, Turkey
•   Height: 1.76 m (5 ft 9 ½ in)
•   Position: Left wing, right wing, attacking midfielder

Club Information

•   Current Club: Eyupsport (head coach)

Youth Career

•   1997-2000: Altintepsi Makelspor
•   2000-2005: Galatasaray

Professional Career

Years Team Matches (Goals)
2005-2011 Galatasaray 127
2006 → Manisaspor (loan) 17
2011-2015 Atletico Madrid 130
2015-2020 Barcelona 40
2018-2020 → Basaksehir (loan) 37
2020-2022 Galatasaray 39
Total 390

National Team Career

•   2002: Turkey U-16 - 10 
•   2003-2004: Turkey U-17 - 30 
•   2003-2005: Turkey U-18 - 11 
•   2004-2006: Turkey U-19 - 17 
•   2005: Turkey U-20 - 2 
•   2005-2006: Turkey U-21 - 2 
•   2006-2017: Turkey - 100 
•   Total: 172 

Coaching Career

•   2023-Present: Eyupsport

Achievements

•   Mediterranean Games: Silver (2005, Spain)
•   UEFA European Championship: Bronze (2008, Austria-Switzerland)

Arda Turan was born on January 30, 1987, in Istanbul. He started football at Altıntepsi Makelspor in the Bayrampasa district. He played for this club from 1997 to 2000. In 2000, he transferred to Galatasaray, where he played in the youth team until 2005. During the second half of the 2005-06 season, he was loaned to Manisaspor. He scored his first goal in a match against Ankaragücü, which they won 2-0.

After a half-season at Manisaspor, Turan returned to Galatasaray. He made his official debut on January 22, 2005, in a Turkish Cup match against Bursaspor. He scored his first official goal for Galatasaray on August 9, 2006, in a 5-2 victory against Mladá Boleslav in the Champions League qualifying round. Turan captained the team and made a total of 190 appearances for Galatasaray until 2011, scoring 44 goals. He won the Turkish Super League in the 2007-08 season, the Turkish Cup in the 2004-05 season, and the Super Cup in 2008.

In August 2011, he transferred to Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of €12,000,000, making him the most expensive Turkish player to transfer abroad. He made his official debut for Atletico on August 28, 2011, against Osasuna. He scored his first official goal for the club in a UEFA Europa League match against Celtic in November 2011. Turan won several titles with Atletico, including the UEFA Super Cup in 2012, the UEFA Europa League in the 2011-12 season, La Liga in the 2013-14 season, the Copa del Rey in the 2012-13 season, and the Supercopa de España in 2014.

On July 6, 2015, Turan transferred to Barcelona for a transfer fee of €34 million. He made his official debut on January 6, 2016, in a Copa del Rey match against Espanyol. He played a total of 55 matches and scored 15 goals for Barcelona, winning the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2015, La Liga and Copa del Rey in the 2015-2016 season, and the Supercopa de España in 2016.

Turan was loaned to Basaksehir for two and a half seasons starting from the second half of the 2017-18 season.

He made his debut for the Turkey national team on August 16, 2006, at the age of 19, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. He scored his first goal for the national team on May 25, 2008, in a friendly match against Uruguay. Turan also competed in the 2008 UEFA European Championship, where Turkey reached the semifinals. After the tournament, he was named in the best 11 list by the German newspaper Bild.

Early Years

Arda Turan began his football career at the age of 8 with an amateur team called Altintepsi Makelspor in the Altintepsi neighborhood of Bayrampasa, where he was born and raised. He played for Altintepsi Makelspor from 1997 to 2000. In 2000, at the age of 12, he transferred to Galatasaray. He played in the youth academy of Galatasaray from 2000 to 2005.

Turan made his official debut for Galatasaray on January 22, 2005, in a Turkish Cup match against Bursaspor. After becoming a professional, he continued to play for Galatasaray’s youth team for a while before being loaned to Manisaspor for the second half of the 2005-06 season. He made his official debut for Manisaspor in an away match against Ankaragucu, where he scored his first goal in both his club career and the Turkish Super League in a 2-0 victory.

After spending half a season at Manisaspor, Turan returned to Galatasaray. On August 9, 2006, he scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in a Champions League qualifying match against Mladá Boleslav, marking his first official goal for Galatasaray. On August 13, 2006, he scored his first Super League goal in a match where Galatasaray defeated Kayserispor 4-0. In the 2009-10 season, at just 22 years old, he was appointed captain of the Galatasaray A team and was given the number 10 jersey.

Turan won one Super League, one Turkish Cup, and one Turkish Super Cup title while wearing the Galatasaray jersey. In August 2011, he transferred to Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of €12,000,000, making him the most expensive Turkish player to transfer abroad. He made his official debut for Atletico Madrid on August 28, 2011, in a La Liga match against Osasuna. During his time at Atletico Madrid, he won La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and one UEFA Europa League title, and played a crucial role in reaching the Champions League final in 2014 with a goal in the semifinals.

Before the 2015-16 season, he transferred to another Spanish club, Barcelona, for a transfer fee of €34 million (with €7 million in performance bonuses), securing his title as the most expensive Turkish player. Turan made his official debut for Barcelona on January 6, 2016, in a Copa del Rey match against Espanyol. He played his first La Liga match for Barcelona on January 9, 2016, against Granada. With Barcelona, Turan won titles including La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.

Arda Turan also represented Turkey at various youth levels, including U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U21 before making his debut for the senior national team on August 16, 2006, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. He competed in the 2008 UEFA European Championship, scoring 2 goals in the tournament.

He won the Milliyet Sports Award for Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and Sportsman of the Year in 2013. He also received the Football Plus Magazine’s Football Oscar for Footballer of the Year in 2010, and the European Footballer of the Year award in 2014 at the 13th International Turkey Sportsman Awards. In 2008, he was named the 8th best player among the 100 star players born in 1987 or later by the Spanish sports magazine Don Balón. In 2009, he was recognized as the most popular active footballer by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. In 2015, he was named Man of the Year by GQ magazine.

On June 6, 2017, Turan faced criticism for cursing and attacking journalist Bilal Mese on the plane returning from the match against Macedonia, which led to the end of his national team career.

Life

Arda Turan was born on January 30, 1987, in the Bayrampasa district of Istanbul, as the first child of Adnan and Yuksel Turan. His father, Adnan Turan, is a retired employee of Turkish Airlines, while his mother, Yuksel Turan, is a homemaker. He has a brother named Okan Turan. Arda completed his high school education at Sehremini High School in the Fatih district.

Turan began playing football in the streets during his childhood. He stated that playing the game of “orta-kafa-gol” with friends in his neighborhood played a significant role in developing his passing and ball control skills, and that playing in narrow streets helped improve his football technique. He started his football career at the amateur team Altintepsi Makelspor, where his father and uncles had previously played, at the age of 8.

In 2000, he participated in the youth selection trials of Galatasaray. After playing for 15 minutes in his first trial, he was called back for another selection a few days later. He passed that trial as well and began playing for Galatasaray. Turan played in the Galatasaray youth academy for about 4 years, during which he appeared in 56 league matches and scored 17 goals. He learned to maintain possession of the ball, avoid losing it quickly, and remember that a match lasts 90 minutes from his coach at Galatasaray, Gheorghe Hagi.

Personal Life

Arda began dating Eda Turkmen, a production assistant, in 2009. Later, rumors surfaced about his relationship with Sinem Kobal, a well-known figure in Turkish cinema and television. Turan denied these rumors initially but eventually started dating Kobal. In January 2012, they got engaged. A few months after the engagement, they experienced a brief separation but reconciled and set their wedding date for June 15, 2013. However, the wedding was postponed to December 26, 2013, due to Turan’s transfer situation and the coinciding of Ramadan. The wedding was postponed again due to the passing of Kobal’s aunt. The couple ended their relationship at the end of 2013.

Afterward, Turan began dating Aslıhan Doğan. They married on March 11, 2018, after a two-and-a-half-year relationship. Their first child, Hamza Arda, was born on October 26, 2018, and their second child, Asil Aslan, was born in June 2020.

Turan has been in the news several times for his charitable work, particularly for his donations and visits to underprivileged children and organizations. In 2009, he participated in various events aimed at helping disabled children and charities. He also contributed to fundraising efforts for the Palestinian people in Gaza alongside other Super League players in 2009. In a 2013 interview with Libero magazine, published in Spain, Turan stated that he paid the bills for his family’s home. He revealed that while playing for Galatasaray, he idolized Emre Belözoğlu but had since changed his idol to Andrés Iniesta. In December 2015, he celebrated the birthday of 16-year-old Ahmet Özgen, who was battling skin cancer, by video-calling him in the hospital and gifting him a jersey.

After transferring to Atletico Madrid on May 11, 2014, Turan moved to Madrid and initially started living in a rented apartment. In the summer of 2014, he settled in a house on Serrano Street that he purchased for €1 million. He continued his life in Madrid there. Turan also owns various properties in Istanbul. In 2013, he bought a three-story villa in Sakli Koru Villalari in the Sariyer district for ₺5 million, which was in rough construction. However, after his relationship with Sinem Kobal ended, he sold this property and the following year bought apartments in Selenium Atakoy in Bakirkoy for himself and his parents.

In 2015, he gifted his brother Okan Turan an Audi RS 4 worth ₺700,000. After transferring to Barcelona in 2015, he rented a two-story villa in Castelldefels for €5,000 a month. In October 2015, he purchased a red Ferrari F12 Berlinetta valued at €300,000. In 2016, Turan opened a restaurant in the Sisli district of Istanbul. However, in February 2019, the restaurant named Arşiv, which cost 3 million lira to open and struggled to attract customers, was completely closed as there were no buyers for it. In April 2017, he rented a waterfront mansion for his brother Okan Turan for €15,000 a month.

Sponsorship Agreements and Media

Arda Turan signed an individual sponsorship agreement with the sportswear brand Puma in 2005. In 2007, during an interview with a magazine, he faced a lawsuit from Puma for wearing products from another brand.

In 2009, he won the Favorite Athlete award at the annual Children’s Oscars ceremony organized by Jetix TV. In 2010, he starred in an advertisement for GSBonus alongside his Galatasaray teammate Lucas Neill. In 2012, he appeared in an advertising campaign for the clothing brand DeFacto alongside Paris Hilton. Additionally, he has appeared in advertisements for Simit Sarayı, Nike, Türkiye Finans, Turkcell, Clear, Bank of Azerbaijan, and Opet.

In 2013, Turan made a guest appearance in the Turkish film “Hukumet Kadın 2.” In 2015, he participated in a project in collaboration with MasterCard and UEFA, aimed at surprising children playing football in the streets. Turan became the face of the Leather Promotion Group’s overseas promotional campaign in 2016 and appeared in a promotional video.

Atletico Madrid’s official television channel produced a mini-documentary showcasing Turan’s life and football career before their Europa League match against Beşiktaş in Istanbul. The documentary featured interviews with Turan’s family, his childhood in Bayrampaşa, and Galatasaray’s then-coach Fatih Terim. In Turkey, a documentary about Arda Turan was released on the Exxen platform by 140journos in 2021, and another new documentary titled “Arda Turan: Confrontation” was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2024. This documentary focused on the ups and downs of Turan’s career, the decisions he made, and his transformations.

In 2010, Turkish sports commentator Sabri Ugan published a children’s book titled “Arda Turan: The Lionhearted Captain,” which tells Arda Turan’s life story and was the first book about him. In 2014, Spanish author Juan Rodriguez Garrido released a book titled “Arda Turan: The Genius of Bayrampaşa,” which focused on Turan’s football career.

Arda Turan appeared on the cover of FIFA 15, a game produced by Canadian game manufacturer EA Sports, alongside global cover star Lionel Messi. In 2014, it was announced that Hublot would produce 100 special watches in Turan’s name. He posed for a calendar prepared by Atletico Madrid in solidarity with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2015. Atletico Madrid issued a symbolic €10 banknote featuring Turan’s photo to fans as a discount voucher after their official Facebook account reached 10 million users. In September 2015, Turan signed a sponsorship agreement with the Turkish company Lassa, becoming the brand’s advertising face for two years. In December 2015, he was awarded the “Man of the Year” award by GQ Turkey and appeared on the magazine’s cover the following month.

National Team Career

Arda Turan first donned the Turkish national jersey on July 16, 2002, during a friendly match against Romania at the U-16 level. In this match, which Turkey won 4-1, he scored his first national goal. He celebrated a championship victory with the Turkey U-16 team at the 2002 Balkan U-16 Championship. Following this, he represented Turkey in various youth teams, including U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-20 levels.

Turan competed with the Turkey U-21 national team at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almería, leading the team to the final, where they ultimately lost to Spain and secured the silver medal.

He made his debut for the senior national team on August 16, 2006, at the age of 19 in a friendly match against Luxembourg. His first goal for the national team came on May 25, 2008, during a friendly match against Uruguay, which ended in a 3-2 defeat for Turkey.

Euro 2008 and World Cup Qualifiers

Arda Turan was included in the 23-man squad for Turkey’s campaign in the 2008 UEFA European Championship. He started on the bench in the group match against Portugal on June 7, 2008, but did not get a chance to play. However, on June 11, 2008, during the match against Switzerland, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Turkey, he scored the winning goal in the 90th minute. This performance earned him the UEFA Man of the Match award, marking his first appearance and goal in a European Championship.

On June 15, 2008, he scored Turkey’s first goal in a 3-2 victory over the Czech Republic in the group stage, helping Turkey advance to the quarter-finals. Following the group matches, he was recognized by Eurosport as one of the tournament’s best eleven players.

In the quarter-final against Croatia on June 20, 2008, which ended in a 0-0 draw after regulation time and 1-1 after extra time, Turan successfully converted his penalty in the shootout, helping Turkey win 4-2 and advance to the semi-finals. However, he missed the semi-final match against Germany on June 25, 2008, due to a suspension. After the tournament, he was included in a best eleven list compiled by the German newspaper Bild.

In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Turan scored a goal in the 2-1 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 11, 2008. He also scored in the 4-2 win over Estonia on September 5, 2009, contributing to Turkey’s success in that match. Notably, his goal against Estonia was the 600th goal in the history of the Turkish national team. Despite his efforts, Turan played a total of 9 matches and scored 2 goals in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, but the team was unable to qualify for the tournament.

Euro 2012 and Beyond

In the qualifiers for the 2012 UEFA European Championship, Arda Turan scored the opening goal for Turkey in the 24th minute of the match against Kazakhstan on September 3, 2010, which ended in a 3-0 victory. Just four days later, he scored the final goal in a 3-2 win over Belgium, achieving a remarkable streak where he scored in five of Turkey’s last six matches.

On March 29, 2011, Turan netted the first goal in a 2-0 victory over Austria in the qualifiers. He continued his scoring form by converting a free kick in injury time against Kazakhstan on September 2, 2011, securing three points for Turkey. However, despite his contributions, Turkey was eliminated in the playoffs by Croatia and did not qualify for the Euro 2012 tournament. Turan played a total of 9 matches during the qualifiers, scoring 4 goals, making him Turkey’s top scorer in this phase.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Turan scored Turkey’s last goal in a 5-0 victory against Andorra on September 6, 2013. However, Turkey finished fourth in their qualifying group and did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Turan participated in 9 matches during these qualifiers, scoring 1 goal.

On March 31, 2015, Turan captained the national team in a 2-1 victory against Luxembourg in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, providing the assist for the first goal scored by Mevlüt Erdinç. He also contributed with an assist in a 4-0 win over Bulgaria on June 8, 2015, where he assisted Burak Yılmaz’s third goal. On June 12, 2015, he scored a crucial goal in the 83rd minute against Kazakhstan, ensuring victory for Turkey. On September 6, 2015, he scored the second goal in a 3-0 win against the Netherlands and assisted Oğuzhan Özyakup’s opening goal. Additionally, in a friendly match against Qatar on November 13, 2015, he scored and assisted Cenk Tosun’s goal.

Turan played in the 2016 UEFA European Championship held in France from June 10 to July 10, appearing in three matches and totaling 245 minutes of play. Unfortunately, Turkey finished third in their group and was eliminated in the group stage.

On June 6, 2017, after a flight from the match against Macedonia, Turan was involved in a controversial incident where he verbally and physically assaulted journalist Bilal Meşe. In a subsequent press conference, he expressed no regrets and announced his retirement from international football.

On November 9, 2020, Turkish national team coach Şenol Güneş mentioned that Turan could return to the national team if he maintained a high level of performance. Throughout his career, Arda Turan played 100 matches for the Turkish national team, making him the fifth player with the most appearances in the national team’s history.

Achievements

Club Achievements

Galatasaray

•   Super Lig: 2007-08
•   Turkish Cup: 2004-05
•   Super Cup: 2008

Atletico Madrid

•   UEFA Super Cup: 2012
•   UEFA Europa League: 2011-12
•   La Liga: 2013-14
•   Copa del Rey: 2012-13
•   Supercopa de Espana: 2014
•   UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2014

FC Barcelona

•   UEFA Super Cup: 2015
•   FIFA Club World Cup: 2015
•   La Liga: 2015-2016
•   Copa del Rey: 2015-2016
•   Supercopa de Espana: 2016

Turkey National Team

•   UEFA European Championship Semi-Final: 2008

Individual Achievements

•   Football Plus Football Oscars - Turkey Player of the Year: 2010
•   Football Plus Football Oscars - European Turkish Player of the Year: 2012, 2013
•   Milliyet Sports Awards - Turkey Player of the Year: 2008, 2009
•   Milliyet Sports Awards - Turkey Athlete of the Year: 2013
•   Turkey Sportsmen - European Player of the Year: 2014
•   Super Lig Assists Leader: 2008-09 (9 Assists), 2009-10 (14 Assists)
•   TPFD Special Award: 2015
•   8th All-time Leading Scorer for Turkey National Team (tied with Zeki Riza Sporel)
•   Scored the 600th goal in the history of the Turkey national team.